


Bertie

by rakketyrivertam



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Dogs, Firefighters, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, OOC-ish, Perceived Break-Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 01:51:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21438232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rakketyrivertam/pseuds/rakketyrivertam
Summary: Inferno returns from Cybertron with news.
Relationships: Inferno/Red Alert, past Firestar/Inferno
Comments: 8
Kudos: 51





	Bertie

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Outing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13593852) by [pink_shoes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pink_shoes/pseuds/pink_shoes). 

> Written with permission. You will need to read Outing first.

Inferno was acting strange, Red Alert thought, avoiding him since he'd returned from Cybertron - since he'd found out Firestar was alive. It hurt. But Red Alert was not so much of a fool to have been blindsided by it.  
Still, it grated him, as he pinged Inferno from the security center. _:Are you on your way?:_

_:Sorry, stuck in traffic a couple states over. Tomorrow night?:_

Red Alert bowed his head, reducing the number of feeds he was actively monitoring in the rec room and the main entrance. _:Maybe. I think... I think we need to talk.:_

Inferno was silent for a long moment. Just as Red was about disconnect, he sighed. _:Okay.:_

Red Alert shut down the comm, frame shaking and helm sparking. After a moment, he pinged his replacement, transformed, and just drove.

The trees rolled by, and he let his spark do the steering. The road turned from dirt to pavement under his wheels, and still he drove.

He arrived at the fire station at nearly midnight. The garage was open, and the engines were gone, so he simply transformed and waited, sitting cross-legged on the lawn.

Pepper returned first, and she jumped straight into his arms. Carefully, ever so carefully, Red Alert held her close. He trembled and buried his nose in her ruff.

As the humans rolled up and exited their vehicle, Sara and Frank grumbled about teenagers and prank calls. Sam, looking much more tired, was the first to notice the Autobot in their midst. 

"Hey, Red," he said, loping on over. "No Inferno tonight?"

Red Alert shook his head, pausing in thought a moment. These were Inferno's friends, who knew if they would jump to defend him from the onslaught of his crushed feelings. "I'm trying to remember the human phrase. He... stood up on me?"

"Stood you up?" Sara asked. "You had plans and he didn't show up or cancel."

Red Alert nodded. "I needed to get away from my office, and my fellow Autobots are - I don't want to deal with their teasing any longer."

"Teasing?"

Red Alert shuddered and sighed as Pepper nosed at his armor. "His conjunx is alive."

The humans shared a look of mutual confusion.

"His... wife," Red Alert clarified.

Frank raised an eyebrow, muttering something that sounded like "I thought he was gay."

Sara shrugged and leaned in to reply. "Maybe he likes both. Bisexuals exist, Frank."

"I know, I know."

Sam cleared his throat, pointedly.

"He's been avoiding me since he came back from Cybertron," Red Alert admitted. "Since he saw her."

"Not cool," Sara said, suddenly angry.

Red flinched back.

"Feelings are hard, but he doesn't get to punish you while he sorts his shit out." She looked Red up and down critically, then nodded to herself. "If he doesn't improve, dump him."

Red Alert frowned, working his components around the word 'dump'.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Women! Always so dramatic!" He nudged Sara with his elbow, grinning and eyes sparkling. "Look, if he's so caught up on her, you'll just have to keep his interest, keep him focused on you. Make him a nice meal, maybe take him to bed for dessert..." He waggled his eyebrows, trailing off suggestively.

Sam sighed and pinched his nose. "Whatever you decide to do, we've got your back. We should really be getting inside before the next alarm, I haven't really had a chance to sleep in the last day or two, and I know you two haven't either."

Sara wiggled her fingers near his face enticingly. "Caffeine...."

Sam snorted, giving up a small smile, then turned back to Red Alert. "You're our friend, too. If you want to stay the night here, you can, but I'm beat. Night, Red."

Pepper jumped down from Red Alert's arms to follow her master inside.

"Good night," Red called softly.

In the end, he did wind up dropping first into alt mode and then into recharge in their driveway, carefully steering himself out of the way of ingoing or outgoing vehicles.

He onlined stiffly, his entire frame creaking as his engine struggled to turn over. Finally, he rolled out onto the street, passing one last sensor sweep over the station. The humans were all still asleep, and there appeared to have been no more incidents the previous night.

He meandered along the streets back to the Ark, his spark not really in it. Normally, he'd be rushing to see his partner as soon as possible, but.... The thought was like a jagged knife through his processor that Inferno would likely not be his partner still after they'd talked. Emotions were complicated, Sara was right about that, but Inferno's actions were clear. He simply didn't know what to do with Red Alert now that Firestar was alive, especially being that he was far too bright-sparked to just get rid of him.

The replay of Frank's advice rolled across his mind, and he selected it for review. He would just have to keep Inferno interested to keep that from happening.

He arrived at the Ark to strange looks. He transformed and rushed to his quarters in a fit of manic energy, rushing to get everything ready... only to find Inferno had returned and was recharging on the berth.

Red took a deep breath and steeled himself. He walked over and stroked his face with shaking hands.

Inferno twitched in his sleep, slowly coming online. He beamed, the full force of his happiness slowly dawning across his face, as he looked up at his partner. "Hey-"

Red Alert lunged, capturing his mouth in a bruising kiss before he could lose his nerve. He swung himself up onto the berth, straddling Inferno's chassis, then returned his attention to his mouth, twining their glossae together.

Inferno pulled away, frowning.

Red Alert tried to follow, only to have the delicate servos in his wrists seized in a punishing grip.

"What's wrong?" Inferno asked.

Red Alert shook his head and leaned in again. "Just kiss me."

Inferno neatly dodged him once again. "You're shaking."

He was, Red Alert realized, so hard his plating was clattering together. "It doesn't matter. Can't I just be in the mood?"

Inferno cleared his throat and sat up properly. "Yes, but I'm worried. You're scared-"

"Just nervous."

Inferno raised an eyebrow and nudged Red's emotional resonance field with his own where they were meshed together.

Red immediately clamped his field close to his protoform, under his armor.

Inferno reached out, cupping his face with a palm. "I want to help. You haven't been yourself since I got back from Cybertron."

Red Alert's field flared in anger and he clambered down from his perch, wrapping his arms around himself in an attempt to stop the rattling. "I haven't been myself?" he bit out. "And where have you been?"

Inferno swung his peds to the floor. "What are you talking about?"

Red Alert shook his head. "You've been trying to figure out how to get rid of me."

Inferno pushed himself to stand and lurched forward.

Red flinched away.

Inferno came to a stop and vented deeply. "Why would I ever want to get rid of you?"

Red shrugged. "You have her now. Again." He utterly failed to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"I'm happy she's alive," Inferno said quietly. "I missed her. But neither of us are the same bots we were four million years ago. I love you."

Red Alert's fans whirred to life as he struggled to breath, panting through his fuel intake until his tanks roiled and threatened to purge.

"Can I touch you?"

Red shook his head.

"Okay." Inferno sat down on the floor. "I'm here."

"But you're not." Red composed himself sternly, but he couldn't stop himself from shaking. "You're gone all the time. No one knows where, least of all me."

Inferno stood slowly. "Can I take you down the hall and show you something?"

"No."

"Can I bring something back here to show you?"

"Can you guarantee you will come back here?"

"Yes."

Red Alert nodded, and he stayed rooted to his spot as Inferno fled the room. He scanned the shelves as he waited, mentally dividing his possessions from his partner's.

Eventually, the door opened.

And in came rushing a dog - not entirely like Pepper, but with the same lanky long legs and whipping tail.

"This is Bertie," Inferno said, shutting the door behind the two of them. "She's yours. I looked all over the country for the perfect dog for you."

Red Alert knelt down to let the dog sniff him, shocked silent.

"She's a bloodhound. With the right training, you can use her to track down suspects or to alert if she smells a particular substance or hears a particular frequency. She herself is calm and kind, and she's just as loyal as you." Inferno sat back down, still keeping a respectful amount of distance. "I'm sorry I missed so much time with you. I was trying to make her a surprise, and I kept getting called to interviews with other pet owners-"

Red Alert stifled a sob, pressing his face into the dog's back.

Inferno reached out, but did not touch.

Eventually, Red straightened, struggling to compose himself. "I thought you didn't want me anymore. I was already thinking it, and then everyone else said as much, too. I'm glitched. I wouldn't want me anymore, why would you? Why do you?" He glanced at Inferno's hand, then reached out to take it, tugging gently.

Inferno scooted closer, wrapping his arms around him. "I could list all the things I love about you and by the time all are one, I still wouldn't be done. I love your laugh, I love the way you so vigilantly protect us all, I love your hands and the things you make with them.... I love your eyes. I love that particular look on your face when you've finally figured something out that you've been struggling." He leaned forward and pressed their noses and forehelms together, venting deeply. "I love you, glitch and all."

Red shook in his lover's arms, pressing into his loose embrace until he was completely enveloped in that comforting field.

Inferno pressed tickling kisses to his face and helm as he curled around him, careful not to squish the dog. "I love you," he repeated. "Do you believe me?"

Red nodded. "What about Firestar though? She doesn't want you back?"

Inferno snorted. "She and Moonracer have conjunxed. Poor Powerglide took such a blow to his ego."

Red Alert struggled not to laugh. "Well... He does kind of deserve it."

Inferno chuckled. 

Bertie jumped up to perch on Red Alert's shoulder, paws scrabbling for a grip on his smooth armor. She sat there, while body waggling, before barking once. 

Red smiled at her, then his expression turned sly. "You said she can be trained as a tracker?"

Weeks later, the entire ship mourned the loss of the Terror Twins' secret, illegal distillery.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally just going to be about Bertie and the firefighters but the rest of the fic demanded to be written. (And the part where Hound went batshit over Red Alert having a hound refused to. XD Now you know where Bertie was while Inferno was asleep.)
> 
> The firefighters, including Pepper, belong to pink_shoes.


End file.
